Juke Box - Episode 12

"Blood On The Rooftops" in the Middle East (and elsewhere...)

I don’t usually make Juke Box posts because of current events, but…

Today the Mighty Wurlitzer spins a progressive rock classic from the 1976 album Wind & Wuthering by Genesis:

Hello again SkepsisNation, and welcome to another installment of Ol’ Doc’s Juke Box.

Behold my Mighty Wurlitzer!

Being a former FM radio jazz DJ and professional church singer, my musical interests are many and varied. This is my Substack side-hustle for sharing music both close to my heart and worthy of your time.

Feel free to leave a comment, including suggestions for future episodes:

Given the bloody state of affairs we have all awoken to this morning, this song immediately came to mind: “The Arabs and the Jews, boy — too much for me.”

From wiki:

Blood on the Rooftops is a song concerning "the tedium and repetitiveness of television news, and the overall mocking disgust that must sometimes accompany watching the news happen [emphasis mine].” [Steve] Hackett wrote the music to the verses, the song's lyrics and its classical guitar introduction, with the music to its chorus written by [Phil] Collins. According to Hackett, the song was a love song originally. He explained, "When I heard the other lyrics on the album, there was a bit of a romantic tinge anyway, so I decided to go right the other way and make it as cynical as possible." It also addresses some political issues, which Genesis had previously stayed away from. Banks and Rutherford both claimed it was Hackett's best song as a member of the group.

The annotated lyrics: (if the links don’t transfer, click here)

Dark and grey, an English film, the Wednesday play
We always watch the Queen on Christmas Day
Won't you stay?
Though your eyes see shipwrecked sailors, you're still dry
The outlook's fine, though Wales might have some rain
Saved again

Let's skip the news boy, I'll make some tea
The Arabs and the Jews, boy — too much for me
They get me confused, boy — puts me off to sleep
And the thing I hate — oh Lord
Is staying up late to watch some debate on some nation's fate

Hypnotised by Batman, Tarzan, still surprised?
You've won the West in time to be our guest
Name your prize
Drop of wine, a glass of beer, dear, what's the time?
The grime on the Tyne is mine, all mine, all mine
Five past nine

Blood on the rooftops — Venice in the spring
The Streets of San Francisco — a word from Peking
The trouble was started by a young Errol Flynn
Better in my day, oh Lord
For when we got bored, we'd have a world war — happy but poor
So let's skip the news, boy — I'll go make that tea
Blood on the rooftops, too much for me
When old Mother Goose stops — they're out for 23
Then the rain at Lords stopped play
Seems Helen of Troy has found a new face again

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I hope you enjoy today’s selection, and TYVM for listening.